ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Gill, Khan Top Player Prop Betting and Odds

India Installed As Pre-tournament Favourites

Leading up to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, India have been installed as the out-and-out favourites to be crowned winners. The Men in Blue have had the ideal preparation for the competition, as they faced and thrashed England 4-1 in a five-match T20 series last month and completed a three-match series sweep of the Three Lions in the 50-over format which concluded on February 12. 

India’s batting lineup is undoubtedly one of the most intimidating in all of professional cricket, starting right at the top with the opening combination of skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Sharma has scored 481 runs in the Champions Trophy and was the team’s best batsman during their T20 World Cup triumph, while Gill scored 259 runs in three innings against England en route to the Player of the Series award this month. However, do not write off India’s former captain Virat Kohli, who is arguably one of the greatest big-match players of all time

As far as the Blue Shirts’ bowling goes, they were dealt a massive blow with paceman Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the competition due to a lower back issue. Bumrah, who sustained the injury during India’s tour of Australia at the start of the year, missed the T20I and ODI series against England and has now been replaced by Harshit Rana in the 15-man squad. While Bumrah’s absence will undoubtedly be felt by India, there is still a fair deal of excitement surrounding the inclusion of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy.

Australia To Rely on Experienced ‘Head’

Australia, like India, are the only team to have won the Champions Trophy twice, and they have a knack for finding big results when it matters. The men from Down Under have announced an experienced squad for the upcoming tournament and their batting order will be led by star striker Travis Head. The Aussie opener was in great knick last year, scoring 252 runs in five ODI innings, including an eye-catching 154-run stand in Nottingham against England in September. Steve Smith and Josh Inglis are also among the front-runners for the leading run-scorer award with the former set to lead the team in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins. 

With the ball, Adam Zampa currently sits atop the leading wicket-taker pre-tournament odds. The New South Wales native had limited opportunity to shine in the 2017 edition of this tournament but was pivotal to the Aussies’ 2019 World Cup campaign where he bagged 23 wickets in 11 games to equal Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan’s record for the most wickets in a single World Cup tournament. Zampa currently stands as Australia’s second-highest ODI wicket-taker among spinners, only behind the great Shane Warne. 

Pakistan Looking to Make Home Advantage Count

Pakistan’s team selection in the build-up to their title defence has faced major criticism, but the selection of players such as Fakhar Zaman, skipper Mohammad Rizwan and stalwart Babar Azam were unquestionable. Zaman was the star of their title win in 2017, scoring a sensational 114, while Rizwan looked imperious in the Tri-Nations series against South Africa and New Zealand this month. Azam, meanwhile, is a proven run-scorer and relishes batting in Lahore and Karachi, where he has a massive fan following. 

While most are expecting the spin bowlers to top the bowling charts at the 2025 Champions Trophy, the Shaheens’ attack will be led by Shaheen Afridi. The left-arm pacer picked up 15 wickets from six matches in 2024 averaging 17.60, and has 122 all-time wickets in 60 ODI at 23.29, with almost half of those scalps (28) coming on home soil. Afridi will also enter the competition with a chip on his shoulder after receiving a fine and a demerit point for belligerent behaviour during the tri-series match against South Africa where he shared a heated exchange with Matthew Breetzke. 

Klaasen, Markram to Lead Proteas Title Charge

Over to the inaugural tournament champions, and Heinrich Klaasen is once again expected to lead the charge with the bat. The experienced right-hander is the undoubted backbone of the Proteas’ batting order and he is arguably the best player of spin that the team possess. Across 57 ODIs, Klaasen has scored 1987 runs including four centuries. Aside from Klaasen, all eyes will be on newcomer Ryan Rickelton, who burst onto the scene in the SA20 league where he smashed 323 runs for MI Cape Town. The 28-year-old has six ODI caps under his belt and scored 188 runs in that time with a best of 91.

With Anrich Nortje ruled out and Lungi Ngidi’s recurring fitness issues, the Proteas’ pace attack will rely heavily on Kagiso Rabada, though many would suggest that has been the case for several years. The true test for South Africa, however, will be if their spin attack, led by Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj, will be enough against the batting lineups of India and Australia. Shamsi has a tendency to be inconsistent at times but his unorthodox style is also one of his greatest assets, while Maharaj is a proven campaigner who possesses the ability to control the game with his accurate left-arm spin. 

New-look England Gunning First Champions Trophy Crown

England are one of the top contenders at ICC events but have not lifted the Champions Trophy title to date. The Three Lions faced several injury setbacks in the lead-up, with the most recent being Jacob Bethell being replaced by Tom Banton. While there are plenty of new faces around the camp, England’s batting order still revolves around the formidable Joe Root. The 34-year-old returned to the squad for the ODI series against India this month and secured yet another record, surpassing former captain Eoin Morgan for the most 50+ scores for England in ODIs (56). Jos Buttler and Harry Brook are also among those expected to star with the bat for the Three Lions.

For many years, we became accustomed to seeing James Anderson and Stuart Broad ripping through top orders with the ball for England, but since their retirement, Mark Wood and Jofra Archer have been tasked with making in-roads with the new ball. However, with spin expected to dominate the competition, Buttler and co will look to legspinner Adil Rashid as a go-to option. The 36-year-old ended as the leading bowler in the ODI series against India with seven wickets and was one of the few bright sparks in what was an otherwise underwhelming series for England. Rashid has played 146 ODIs for the Three Lions and has 212 wickets to his name with a strike rate of 34.70 

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